Do you invite people without family close by to your Thanksgiving affair?
We don’t have Thanksgiving in Australia. Given the focus of the day and how family oriented it appears to be, it occurred to me this morning that people who don’t have family must feel very lonely. I know Christmas is a bad time for people who are alone and can be very depressing.
Do you invite people you know will spend the day alone to join you? Is that a common thing to do?
How many people here will spend Thanksgiving alone and does it bother you or do you relish the time to yourself?
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Yes, we have some strangers joining us so they aren’t alone. Last year it was some incoming family members. We embrace everyone.
Growing up, my best friend spent 90% of the holidays with me and my family because her family life sucked. In general, yes, if people didn’t have anyone to spend the holidays with, they were invited. Feeling lonely on “important” days can be devastating and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Holidays don’t mean as much to me as they might to some other people because I’m not patriotic and I’m also agnostic, but they’re wonderful excuses to make people feel loved and to spend time with people that are important to you.
@DrasticDreamer You summed up the importance of these holidays better than anyone else. It isn’t about patriotism or religion. It’s knowing what matters.
I like your last par @DrasticDreamer. And yes, that’s how I view such holidays too. Opportunities to spend time with the people I love. Glad you and @Adirondackwannabe‘s families take in waifs and strays.
Being alone on Thanksgiving would suck. We’ll take in anyone.
Those times when I have been hosting a Thanksgiving I have invited people who had no place to go. Nowadays I am more likely to be asked.
The beauty of Thanksgiving is that your family can be created by those you love and love you.
@zenvelo perhaps those invites are karma for all the times you’ve provided that family for others who were alone. I hope you have a lovely day this year.
Sorry I used strangers. They’re friends I haven’t met.
When I invite people they are welcome to bring other friends or family members who I might not know. Their adult children, a friend who might be alone otherwise, it’s all ok. I’ve never had anyone bring more than two additional people and they always ask first.
The last 6 or 7 years it has just been my husband and my parents at my house, and I haven’t wanted to make it any bigger than that.
This thanksgiving I’m going to my Inlaws and their daughter is bringing two friends who none of us know.
I’ve been invited many times to Thanksgiving by people who know we don’t have extended family where we live. Sometimes I go sometimes I don’t.
I don’t care if I’m home alone on thanksgiving. A lot of Americans like Thanksgiving food a lot and really look forward to it, but I don’t. Especially not made by other people. They make it with too much fat and butter, I like my stuffing and green bean casserole on the dry side, and I only like my (my moms) cranberry side dish.
I’d be afraid they’d try to serve me as the main course! No strange invites plz!
@Marwyn, you were on the top of my invite list. Nothing like having a goose sitting on, I mean at, the table.
We have on occasion. This year my daughter-in-law has decided to take on the onerous task of hosting the event. I don’t know what she will do but she is the kind of person that would ask someone to join us.
I hope you have a great day with your daughter. If it’s the first time for your daughter, I’m sure it will be a bit stressful. She’ll want everything to be perfect.
Every year. Our table is always full of waifs and strays, makes for a lovely celebration.
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